Lady Sings the Blues
by antilogicgirl
Summary: Naruto knew everything about his best friend, or so he thought. Some discoveries are meant to be made, and are if you have meddlesome friends. cross dressing
1. The Deepest Blues Are Black

**Title:** "Lady Sings the Blues"

**Author:** antilogicgirl

**Series:** Naruto

**Genres:** angst, romance

**Begun: **April 27, 2008

Compelted: N/A. In progress

**Summary: **Naruto thought he knew everything about his best friend, but it would appear that he was mistaken. Sasuke, on the other hand has strange ways of dealing with his emotions.

**A/N:** Strange how things turn out. This was supposed to be a funny story, the original title being "King For A Day", named after the Green Day song. Instead, it turned into this. It's a moody little thing…

On a side note, the name of the story is actually taken from one of my favorite Regina Spektor songs, and each of the chapters are the names of Foo Fighters songs. Since this story has a lot to do with music, it naturally had to be that way.

**Warnings for the faint of heart:**

**FL--**Foul Language

**S-ai--**Shounen-ai

**V--**Violence

* * *

**Part I: **The Deepest Blues Are Black

Everyone has secrets. No big deal. Or, so he would have liked to think. There were little secrets, like not telling your best friend that he's been walking around with nori stuck in his teeth for the entire day…then there was the big stuff. Big secrets, between friends, were the kinds of lies by omission and slips of the tongue that could cause arguments, or break hearts.

His black eyes watched as his best friend of twenty-four years shoved French fries into his mouth. It had, for some time, been difficult to watch the other man eat, talk, or do anything that would require his attention to be fastened firmly to the way those lips moved. That was part and parcel with _his_ big secret. No…he simply could not watch that mouth do _anything. _ Instead, his eyes found it easier to slide away, looking out of the window, and he tried not to frown when the other said around a mouth full of fried potato, "Wah's 'oor pahb-um?"

He almost cursed aloud when he involuntarily looked back at the man across the table. His gaze was met with confused, concerned blue eyes that were almost obscured by too-long blonde bangs. And of course, there was that _mouth_. Currently, the corners of those shapely lips were drawn down into a frown of worry as food was swallowed. "Hey, you in there, Sasuke?" A hand rose in front of his face and fingers snapped, making him jerk in his seat, sitting up ramrod-straight.

Irritated with himself for having been caught, Sasuke pushed away his friend's hand. "Stop that, Naruto."

"Huh." Grunted the blonde, before he leaned forward on his elbows. Suspicion narrowed Naruto's eyes, and he pointed a somewhat limp French fry at him. "What's the matter with you lately? You're spacing out _all_ the time. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were bored of me after all these years." Sasuke blinked at him, face composed in a mask of total impassivity. The inner turmoil he went through need not show. He was _not_ going to talk to anyone about what was _wrong_ with him. As far as he was concerned, it was his problem alone, and he would work it out _on his own_. So he just did what he always did when he didn't want to talk about something. He pushed it aside and ignored it. _Bored indeed…ha!_

"Shut up. There's nothing wrong with me."

Naruto snorted, grabbing at his enormous soda cup. After a slurping gulp, he set it down, the ice rattling within. "_Like hell_ there's nothing wrong with you. I know you too well." That was probably true. They'd known one another since they were right around three years old. They attended same pre-school, same dojo, same elite private schools…same college. Now they both worked for the same company. They'd been together for so long, they were close as brothers.

Bu because of that relationship, Uchiha Sasuke had long since lost his ability to hide things from Naruto. When those blue eyes turned onto him, they missed absolutely nothing. The seemingly moronic man had enough practice at figuring out Sasuke's various and sundry levels of morose, bitter, angst, and admittedly cruel amusement. And it was precisely that ability which had caused him to do some of the things he had in the last year.

Slowly, and with not a little effort, Sasuke had regained some semblance of a hiding place from his closest friend. It was not that he _wanted_ to have secrets. Nothing could be further from the truth. His problem was such that it required time to work through, and he was doing all he could to deal with it in his own way. One day, Sasuke would tell him, explain everything. He wanted to do so right now, just like so many times before…but then again he didn't. There were some things that went better unsaid. For now. "Don't worry about me, Naruto. I'm fine."

* * *

Naruto shut the door of his apartment. Out of habit, he dropped his keys onto the lacquered table to the left of the door before sitting down to remove his shoes. His movements were automatic as he untied laces, loosened them, and slid his sneakers off. Placing them next to the black dress oxfords that he'd worn yesterday, he began to worry, once again.

There were two pairs of slippers sitting here. One was blue. They were just as well worn as the orange ones he now shoved his toes into. But when was the last time Sasuke had come over? He was just about to stand up when he thought back to exactly how long they'd been occupying permanent space at each other's residences.

They had the same ritual since they started college. Weekends were for hanging out. Fridays were spent at Sasuke's house in the outskirts of town, while Saturday nights found the two of them piled onto Naruto's couch, often with other friends, watching movies or debating some random issue that Sasuke thought was important. More often, they just sat around, reading or taking naps. When you knew someone for as long as Uzumaki Naruto had known his best friend, there were just times when you didn't need to talk.

One example of this was Sasuke's rating system for girls. In high school, if a girl walked by that Naruto thought was pretty, he'd look at Sasuke. A favorable judgment would be indicated by a very slight rise in one eyebrow. If the girl wasn't to his taste, the eyebrow would rise higher as if to say "You've _got_ to be kidding." Very few girls actually met with Sasuke's approval. Naruto had come to the conclusion that his friend was simply too picky. In fact, he remembered one particular occasion during summer vacation when they were in their second year of college…

_Naruto glanced over his shoulder. Sasuke sat beneath an enormous blue beach umbrella, in the shade, but he knew that his friend was slathered in sunscreen anyway. He never tanned, no matter how long he was exposed to the sun. All that ever happened was the world's worst lobster-red sunburn. Azama Sansan Beach (1) was alive with people, even before noon. Everywhere, people were setting up umbrellas, children were dipping toes into the surf, and a group of US Marines was standing in a knot a few yards away, unpacking what looked like a sizable barbeque._

_"You think you're going to come into the daylight, Dracula?" Naruto teased, "Everyone else and their mother is."_

_Sasuke's mouth turned down a bit at the corners, making him appear to pout, even though he would never have admitted to such a thing. "If everyone else jumped off the top of the Sunshine 60 (2), would you do it?"_

_Naruto grinned. He loved this part. "Would I live?"_

_Sasuke rolled his eyes. "What are you talking about? Would you **live**? That building is more than two hundred meters tall. Of **course** you'd die, you idiot." He crossed his arms over the front of the only non-loud Hawaiian shirt Naruto had ever seen, and then muttered, "And in answer to your question, 'no'. I'm not a masochist. My ass is staying right here in this chair, thank you very much."_

_Three hours later…_

_Naruto heaved another bucket, feeling the grit of sand bite into his palms. This was the reason he went to the beach. Since he was very little, one of his favorite things to do when he did get the chance to go to the seaside was the building of sand castles. Currently, the castle he was nearly finished constructing was five feet, seven inches tall, and nearly as wide. It had five turrets, and he was nearly done erecting what he might dub the 'servants' wing'. _

_His efforts had drawn a small audience, mostly consisting of young children and a contingent of highly attractive girls that might just be his own age. He piled the sand on top of the rest of the small mound, and picked up the plastic trowel he liked to use for smoothing out the walls. Whispers from the girls drew into giggles, and a smile formed on his face as he worked. He loved being at the center of attention. It was an added bonus that such attention was given by abnormally attractive girls, though…_

_"Hey!" came a familiar, yet strangely altered voice, "Yeah, you! Get yer' fat ass out of the way! I can't see around it!" Naruto's eyes widened in horror. The next few moments seemed to occur in slow motion as he looked up to see the prettiest girl in that group burst into tears. This girl was far from fat. And what made things worse was the fact that as he looked past her, he saw Sasuke, still lounging in his beach chair, with a sizable pile of Sapporo beer cans just to one side. **Great. All I need right now is a mean drunk…Damn it, Sasuke!**_

_Sticking the trowel into the sand next to the servant's wing, he pushed himself to his feet. Naruto stalked over to where his obviously inebriated friend was seated, and hissed, "Stop that, you bastard. You're making the ladies cry."_

_Sasuke's head cocked up, and a dopey smile spread across his face. **Good God, he's shit-faced!** "Hiya, Naruto. Like yer castle…but I can' see it too well…those fat cows… in my way." One hand waved vaguely in the direction of the sobbing girl, and Naruto heard her start to cry harder, and her friends started leading her away. The little kids started to disperse as soon as the girl began crying, so the two of them were left alone._

_Naruto reached down and grabbed the front of Sasuke's shirt, hauling him to his feet. "That's enough beer, and enough of your lip, asshole." _

_"My, my," the drunken man leered, "aren't we chivalrous for someone that doesn't even stick around to enjoy it?" That comment was enough to make Naruto see red. Before he could stop to think about it, and before he even tried, his fist clenched and he took a swing at Sasuke. With what can only be described as the 'luck of the drunk', Sasuke dodged his fist and kicked his feet from beneath him. Something strange entered Sasuke's eyes, which Naruto thought might be hurt, or indignation. Finally, he seemed to settle on a look of resigned annoyance. With a sigh, he said, "What do you care about her, Naruto? She's gone now, anyway. Come on and sit down. I don't want to fight you."_

But Naruto had not let it go. In the end, they'd both been covered in sand; Sasuke had a black eye, and Naruto a bloody nose. They'd nearly been arrested. What Naruto didn't understand about the situation was that the girl Sasuke had yelled at had _not_ been fat. In fact, she was the most beautiful of any of the girls that had been watching. She'd had perfect skin, long legs, beautiful black hair that had been spilling down her back, and eyes like smoky obsidian. That girl was _perfect_. And she'd run off crying.

As he walked into the living room, he wondered where his best friend was, and what was wrong with him. He'd been acting even more strangely than usual for the past few months. Neither of them were really what anyone would call normal, but still…

Dropping onto the couch, he put his feet up, pulling his wallet and cellular phone out to put them on the coffee table. Naruto leaned on his usual arm of the couch, his eyes trying to look over at the phone. He could always call. Sasuke _had_ to know that he was worried about him, but he just would not tell him what was wrong, no matter how many times he asked. All he ever said was "I'm fine," and that Naruto should not worry. Sighing, he let his head fall back. A little more time. He could give his friend just a little more time.

* * *

The house was quiet, as always. Sasuke walked through the darkened rooms, not needing the lights. He'd lived in this house all his life, after all. Through the living room, past the kitchen, to the stairs and up, he went. Not until he reached the spare room at the end of the hall did he flip a light switch.

The room revealed looked normal enough. He was careful to keep it outwardly simple. Nothing strange or different was ever left lying out in the open. The only thing that one might find strange here was that there were no fewer than six closets. Oddly enough, though this place was part of one of his least healthy habits, Sasuke felt a sense of peace here. Unlike the rest of the house, it had a personality of its own which was entirely of his invention. His family no longer lived here; they'd all either died or moved away. Though he was the only person that still remained, he'd done little to change the place.

This room, however, was his alone. He moved to the first of the closets and slid the door aside. Before anything was withdrawn from within, his cell phone let out a shrill sound.

One slender hand reached into the pocket of his pants, withdrawing the dark red device. Flipping the thing open, he held it to his ear and said, "Yes?"

"Are you coming tonight?" A familiar, masculine voice asked.

Sasuke nearly rolled his eyes, but settled on a small smile. After six months, did they still think he'd quit? "Why would I stand you up?"

* * *

_Knock, knock._

Naruto blinked. Someone was knocking at his door. For half an instant, he thought it might be Sasuke. But that thought was dismissed almost as soon as it had come. Sasuke never knocked. He'd had a key to the place for years. Wondering whom it could be, Naruto levered his body up off of the couch and shuffled to the entryway. The knock came again, sounding light and crisp.

Looking through the peephole, he found himself staring at a pair of bright green eyes. "Naruto!" The girl cried, "I know you're in there! Open up!" He stood there for a long moment, watching as one of his good friends began to get slightly annoyed. Haruno Sakura always looked prettiest when she was angry. Speaking of pretty…she looked abnormally nice tonight. Her hair was done up in a twist, pretty jeweled pins sticking out at various angles, and she was wearing a black dress that was a concoction of lace and silk. If her boyfriend found out she wore that out of his presence, Sakura might very well be in trouble.

After disengaging the locks, Naruto pulled the door open quickly and leaned on the doorframe. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" She looked startled, but recovered sooner than he thought she would.

Smiling, she stepped closer. Sakura kissed his cheek, and gave him a small hug. "I was on my way out. There is a new-ish club…and I was wondering…if you're not doing anything with Sasuke tonight—"

Naruto smiled broadly, and finished her thought. "You need a big, strong man to make sure no one molests you, eh?" Sakura slapped his shoulder lightly, but agreed after a moment of glaring. "Where is Ino tonight?"

Sakura waved a hand dismissively. "She's trying out a new restaurant. If it's good enough, that's where she'll have the engagement party." Their friend Chouji had finally asked her to marry him, after they'd dated off and on for eight years. It was a wonderful surprise, and the best way anyone had ever popped the question.

Chouji was soux chef at one of the best restaurants in town. He'd closed the place for the night, so that he could have the restaurant for just the two of them. The staff had worked long and hard, creating the perfect dinner. Dessert was also perfect. Ino's favorite custard tarts were topped with sugared violets, and one candy violet held the ring. Even Naruto had gone all misty-eyed when Sakura told him about it.

He was in a teasing mood, so he asked about her boyfriend. "What about Neji?"

Her eye twitched. "He's working late. I think I might have to talk to his uncle. That man is a slave driver." Naruto decided that it might be a bad idea to tease her further about this. Sometimes, she forgot just whom she was angry with, and tended to take out her frustration on whoever was closest. So, he stepped aside and let her in.

"What kind of place is it?" he asked, trying to get an idea of what he should wear.

"Dunno. Sai told me about it…sounds sort of upscale, to me." She seated herself on the couch, careful not to wrinkle the silk of her skirt. "You'll be safe if you wear your black suit, I think." Naruto smiled. If it was Sai, he was pretty sure it was not just upscale. The place was either an artsy jazz bar, or a posh dance club. Naruto shrugged as he entered his bedroom. He would try anything once.

* * *

**Cultural Notes:**

1) Azama Sansan Beach—One of three notable beaches on Okinawa's main island. Very tourist-friendly.

2) Sunshine 60—a 60-story building in Tokyo. From 1978-1985, it was the tallest building in East Asia.


	2. Lonely As You

**Title:** "Lady Sings the Blues"

**Author:** antilogicgirl

**Series:** Naruto

**Genres:** angst, romance

**Begun: **April 27, 2008

**Compelted:** August 7, 2008

**Summary: **Naruto thought he knew everything about his best friend, but it would appear that he was mistaken. Sasuke, on the other hand has strange ways of dealing with his emotions.

**A/N:** Second part ready! It seemed a few of you really liked the first part. I'm glad. Here…it gets a little more interesting. Keep an eye out for some interesting stuff. Oh, a lovesick Sasuke is a wonderful Sasuke. He's got such an obsessive personality! Just as a side note, this story is actually finished being written. I'm going to post each new portion about...oh, say once a week, depending on reviews. So, keep a weather eye on the horizon, folks.

**Warnings:**

**FL--**Foul Language

**S-ai--**Shounen-ai

* * *

**Part II:** Lonely As You

Sakura bit her lip. She hoped that nothing bad would happen. Honestly, she was pretty sure that it would all go to hell in a hand basket, but Sai was right. During one of his rare moments of perceptiveness, he'd said that this _needed_ to happen. From the corner of her eye, she watched the taxi drive away. There was no turning back now. Not for the first time, Sakura thought, wondering if they were doing the right thing.

Sai had been the first to find out. Of course, he was part owner of the club, so he had known everything immediately. He had accidentally let it slip to Ino. She, of course, was the biggest gossip know to man, so she told Chouji, who told Hinata. Hinata told Neji, and then Sakura found out. While their small group of friends was seated at the table Chouji had always reserved for them at his restaurant, they concocted their plan over a few too many bottles of sake. Now, carrying it out, Sakura felt sure that they would all be less a couple of friends by the time this thing was through.

On her left, Naruto offered her an arm, which she took. The building looked like it was built just after the war, with half of the bricks concealed by the ivy growing over them. Music could be heard outside the club, and it confirmed exactly what Sai had told her about the place. It was so '1940's jazz club' that it almost hurt her to look at it.

Above the entrance, neon kanji spelled out the name of the club: Silhouette. Black velvet ropes formed the area where a line of men and women were waiting to enter the building. A pair of massive Chinese bouncers regulated the flow of traffic. Naruto murmured, "Looks like a party…" They entered the line, which moved with relative swiftness into the club. When they got inside, there was a man sitting behind a small desk, extracting the cover charge from the bar's patrons.

"How much?" Naruto asked.

The thin man replied over the loud music, "1,000 each," and Naruto paid for both of them, handing over 2,000 yen (1). They made their way further into the club, which seemed to be painted entirely black. The dance floor was lighted in blue, purple and red, and the bar back glistened under blue lights. Sakura was impressed. Sai had told her he was one of the financial backers, but somehow, she had thought that he wouldn't do anything that didn't involve an art gallery. This place was simple, tasteful, and uncluttered. It must have been someone else that did the decorating.

She tried to pull Naruto further into the place, but he was too busy reading the events posters. There was, according to the posters on the wall, supposed to be a _special_ event tonight. Photo-copied flyers in all shades of the day-glow rainbow showed a grainy photo of a very beautiful woman in a dark-colored floor-length dress. She was singing. Naruto stared at the poster nearest the door, eyes riveted to the photograph. "Naruto, are you okay?" Sakura asked loudly, trying to make herself heard over the music.

He pointed at the flyer and turned his fact toward her. "This chick…she looks familiar."

Sakura nodded, "She really does. I feel like I've seen her before, too." God, she felt like a horrible person. Maybe she should have one drink and pretend to be sick? This couldn't be the right thing to do. But before she could excuse herself to the ladies' room, Naruto was tugging her toward the bar, looking interested in the place and ready to have a good time.

Again taking out his wallet, they sat down in front of the polished black granite bar. "What are you drinking, Sakura?" He ordered a beer for himself, and she asked for a shot of tequila. One blonde eyebrow rose sharply. "You looking to get shit-faced? Don't you remember the last time you had that stuff?"

"No…" she began, because she really couldn't remember. Sakura had blacked out. If you don't remember, you can't learn your lesson. The alcohol was purchased, and she threw it back before opening her purse and ordering another. There was only a short time before the show, and she wanted to be plastered by then. Sakura was pretty sure that it would be the only way she'd get through this.

* * *

"Sayuri! You're on in five minutes!" The disembodied voice of the night manager sounded loud in the space that was used for a dressing room. It was little more than an equipment room, really. The singer glanced over one shoulder, and straightened the neckline of the dress that hugged curves and flawless skin.

Usually, the dresses were sexy. Slinky fabrics, low-cut and almost sluttish, revealing far too much…tonight, however, the silk and taffeta concoction hearkened back to Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn, but only if they had been fond of black. Dark eyes closed as slender fingers reached for long black opera gloves. Stage fright never really went away. It just morphed into excitement later on, and helped boost the performance. It took long moments to steady a rapid heartbeat before Saiyuri stood.

The club had gone silent. It was time for the show.

* * *

Naruto watched the stage. From their current position at a table slightly off to one side of the microphone, he should be able to see the performance perfectly. He thought about the flyers and posters that had been plastered all over the entrance area. For the life of him, Naruto could not think of where he had seen that girl before. Then again, he might be wrong. The picture had been sort of crappy. The other tables were all filled, as well, with the occupants of the bar in obvious anticipation of what was to come.

For a moment, all lights except the bar back were extinguished, and the people fell into deep silence. He could make out a rustling sound not far away, which he interpreted as the mystery woman getting into position for her performance. Now that he thought about it, he'd been so occupied with trying to figure out where he'd seen her…he'd forgotten to notice her name.

"Ladies and gentlemen…" came a deep, masculine voice over the speakers, "Please show your love, once again, for the beautiful…the enchanting…Saiyuri…"

The spotlight seemed blindingly bright to Naruto's eyes, dazzling him momentarily as it lit up the stage. An old-fashioned silver microphone sparkled, only distracting him for a split second. Then, he saw her. Perfection. It was the only word he could think of to describe this absolute vision in black. Pale, flawless porcelain skin, delicate features, hair the color of midnight.

The music started, a simple rim-shot that was muffled to sound like fingers snapping, along with the clenching of a high-hat cymbal. Saiyuri stepped up to the microphone, parted her crimson lips, and began to sing. Softly, but with an air of mischief to her alto voice, she sang, "Never know how much I love you…"

As the words to "Fever" echoed through the club, Naruto found himself completely entranced. There was a minimal, lady-like sway in her hips as she sang. He did not notice when Sakura got up from the table, leaving him alone. The house lights rose to a dim level as the song progressed, and Sayuri began focusing on individual members of the audience. Mostly, she seemed to be concentrating on the side furthest from where he sat. The woman did not notice him, and Naruto found himself willing her to look his way. When this first song was through, the audience erupted into applause and cheers.

A beautiful smile spread over her lips, and Saiyuri gave a little bow. "Thank you," she murmured. Her voice was breathy and deep, almost…masculine…

With those two little words, Naruto's entire world came crashing down. His eyes dissected the image in front of him, taking away the false eyelashes, the deep red lipstick…replacing the dress with a black business suit. Breathing was difficult. How…how had he not known? How had he not noticed, or put the pieces together? He could have done anything other than staying completely in the dark.

That was Sasuke up there. Uchiha Sasuke was wearing a freaking dress, and looking for all the world like a woman. When had his best friend become a jazz-singing drag queen? He did not know what was worse. That Uchiha Sasuke was wearing a dress, makeup, and singing so softly that even his own mother—God rest her soul—wouldn't have recognized him…or that he felt attracted to the image. As Sasuke launched into another song, he sat motionless. His shock was so complete that all he saw was his best friend's beautiful face, the way that carefully styled hair fell across his forehead, and now, how those dark eyes drifted over the faces in the audience, only to land directly upon him.

* * *

At first, Sasuke did as he always did. Looking from face to face, lending intimacy to the song, "Other dancers may be on the floor…but my eyes will see only you…" but during the instrumental break, his breath caught in his chest. If he were the type of man to try and lie to himself in the face of what he really wanted, he would tell himself that his inability to breathe was due to the corset he wore. But while he had been attempting to lie to the entire world for close to four years, he had always made a point to be brutally honest with his own heart.

The instant his eyes caught sight of blonde hair, of blue eyes wide in recognition, there was little he could do other than admit to himself for the millionth time how beautiful Naruto was. Though the shock written all over his best friend's face was almost enough to send him running off of the stage, he continued the song, all the while utterly unable to look at anyone aside from Naruto. "I can hear the sound of violins, long before it begins…"

* * *

Naruto watched in fascination, pinned to the spot by those dark eyes, that voice. Every word, every note was so filled with longing that he understood without needing explanation the looks his best friend was giving him. The pleading expression, the yearning quality to Sasuke's voice…He understood, suddenly, why Sasuke had been unable to truly look him in the eyes for a long time. The disappearances, the lack of romantic partners…it all made perfect sense. He understood. But…understanding did not mean he was all right with it.

Was this really the same Sasuke he had known since he was three? Graceful, delicate, undeniably beautiful, this side of Sasuke was so different that Naruto began to wonder if he had a split personality. Was this a cry for help? An act of rebellion? Well, his best friend was a little old for that, but Naruto was willing to entertain any explanation that did not involve the truth that came through in the way Sasuke was looking at him.

Before he knew what was happening, four more songs were done, and the stage lights went down. The spell broken now that he could no longer see Sasuke, Naruto got up from his seat. Dazedly, he began walking toward the door, everything other than what had just happened now forgotten.

Halfway across the dance floor, he felt a hand on his arm. Naruto's feet stopped, as if they were glued to the hardwood beneath the soles of his shoes. A slow song began playing over cleverly hidden speakers, but he could hear Sasuke's deep voice at his ear, "Wait," it said breathlessly, as if he'd been running, "Please…"

When Naruto did not move to leave, Sasuke took a deep breath, and said, "Dance with me. I'll explain." Closing his eyes, Naruto tried to wish this away. But when he opened them again, he was still in the middle of the dance floor, and Sasuke was still holding him there. And people were staring at them. His free hand reached across his body, taking the gloved one that held his arm. For a moment, it felt strange as he gathered a silk-and-taffeta-swathed Sasuke into a rigid dancer's stance.

"Explain."

* * *

Sasuke flinched at that word. Naruto began to move them around the floor, and he tried to summon the words. "First…" he said, leaning forward slightly to be heard, "…I want to apologize."

"For what? For lying to me, or for being homosexual?"

His back stiffened slightly, but Sasuke realized that the venom in Naruto's voice was completely deserved. However, he clarified his meaning, his voice taking on a bit of an edge. "I am not going to apologize for the way I feel." Sliding his hand up Naruto's shoulder toward his neck, he invaded his friend's space just a little. "But I want you to know how sorry I am that I couldn't tell you…" Naruto was staring at him blankly, absolutely no emotion in his eyes. This expressionless look hurt Sasuke more than he thought possible. But now that he'd begun, he figured it all should come out.

"I couldn't…I couldn't tell you how much I care about you, Naruto."

"Why?" he heard Naruto's voice go hoarse, betraying the emotions he was obviously holding back.

"I was scared that you'd push me away." Sasuke knew it was going to happen anyway, now. It was the only outcome that could possibly result from something like this. "So I stayed your friend. This…this just happened one day as a sort of joke." He waved his hand to take in the club, indicating that getting in touch with his apparently musical feminine side had been quite accidental. "But I won't pretend it hasn't been somewhat therapeutic. I feel freer when I'm like this. It's like I can say anything…" For long moments, they merely moved in a slow circuit of the floor, a heavy silence hanging between them. The already tense spring in Sasuke's chest wound tighter and tighter until he couldn't take it anymore. "Damn it, Naruto, say something."

"What do you want me to say?" came the dull reply.

That was a good question, and it only really had one answer. Unfortunately, he couldn't say that out loud. Not so soon. Instead, he said, "Tell me what you're feeling. Tell me…tell me what you think of me." The instant the words left his mouth, he wished them back. Any moment now, his best friend was going to rip his heart out of his chest and throw it onto the floor.

* * *

How was he supposed to answer that? What was he feeling? Hurt. Betrayed. Wronged. But he was not feeling that way because of the fact that Sasuke had lied to him for God knew how long. He felt like he'd been victimized because his best friend had thought he would not accept him as he was. Naruto had gay friends. Sai, for example, was queer as the day was long. He had no problem with him or any of the rest of them. But Sasuke was different. They shared a connection so deep that it was more than brotherhood.

Would he have pushed him away had Sasuke simply confessed his feelings? There was no way of knowing. He wanted badly to say that he would not have done so. Feeling awkward, to say the least, he said, "I don't know what to think…and I have no idea what I'm feeling." The grip he had on Sasuke's waist loosened, his fingers sliding away from expertly tailored taffeta. "I have to go…"

Suddenly, he felt Sasuke's hands tighten on him. "No," he said, his voice uncharacteristically desperate with emotion. "Please don't leave me." Naruto blinked in confusion at the tears that had begun forming in Sasuke's eyes. He had only ever seen this man cry twice. The first time had been when he broke his arm as a small boy, and the other had been when they were in high school, at his mother's funeral. Now, the other man pressed his body forward, the feeling more than surreal.

Speaking without thought, he asked, "What do you want from me?"

* * *

Closing his eyes, Sasuke pressed his cheek against Naruto's. If he could be honest with himself, he could be honest with this man. They were like extensions of one another. In a hoarse whisper, he said, "I want…all I've ever wanted is for you to love me, Naruto." Their feet stopped moving. Naruto pulled away so that he could look Sasuke in the eyes.

"What if I can't?"

Sasuke had not been able to prepare himself for how badly that hurt. It was the absolute worst pain he'd ever experienced, having his heart ripped from his chest, leaving only an empty hole. His mind stuttered, slowing and finally becoming still as it realized what the rest of him already had. "You…you don't…" Shutting his eyes, he blocked out Naruto's face. He wasn't sure if he could take looking at those eyes just now. "God, I feel like an idiot…" He let go of Naruto completely and turned away, feet carrying him back toward the stage door.

He couldn't believe it. The one person he cared for more than anyone, a man he'd grown to love…was incapable of loving him back. Fighting back tears, he turned the knob, disappearing a moment later into the fluorescent-lit dressing room.

* * *

Cultural Notes:

1) 2,000 yen—about 20 dollars US.


	3. Miracle

**Title:** "Lady Sings the Blues"

**Author:** antilogicgirl

**Series:** Naruto

**Genres:** angst, romance

**Begun: **April 27, 2008

**Compelted:** August 7, 2008

**Summary: **Naruto thought he knew everything about his best friend, but it would appear that he was mistaken. Sasuke, on the other hand has strange ways of dealing with his emotions.

**A/N:** And now, I want to thank everyone who has sent in reviews, and for all your concern. It's tough to make Uchiha Sasuke into a loveable, even pitiable character. I guess you guys can make up your minds whether I've managed to do that. Love to you all, and thanks again, especially to:** Kagome Raya, Ivy, **and **redfoxmoon** also, to the the non-logged in reviewers. This story is NOT over, so don't worry.

**Warnings:**

**FL--**Foul Language

**S-ai--**Shounen-ai

* * *

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Part III: Miracle

It was nearly three in the morning when Sasuke got home. He kicked off his stiletto heels at the door, not bothering to take them up to the closet where all of his shoes for performing were kept. He also did not put on his slippers. No, he simply pulled off the gloves he wore and shuffled over to the couch, his bare feet sticking slightly to the floor. The full skirt was enough to keep his legs warm, but he pulled a blanket from the ottoman anyway. He'd certainly regret sleeping this way in the morning, when his ribs ached from the corset, but there just was no energy in him to do anything more than curl up on the couch and try not to cry.

* * *

The engine died as he removed the key from the ignition. Why was he here? By all rights, he should be slumped over on his couch with a beer in hand, getting plowed. Wasn't that what a guy was supposed to do when he found out that his best friend was gay, and completely lovesick over him? Naruto stared at the house. There was only one light on.

The light coming from the living room window was flickering. Sasuke had the television on. Was he sitting there in his pajamas, eating chips and watching TV like they used to…or was he taking out his frustrations by playing one of the many violent video games he owned? Maybe it would be better to just leave? But the longer he stared at the house, the colder that knot in his stomach got, and the heavier his worry became. He'd made Uchiha Sasuke cry. Sure the guy had been wearing an off-the-shoulder dress that made him look like a woman…but he was still Sasuke. And Sasuke didn't cry unless something was horribly wrong.

Before he knew what he was doing, Naruto was shutting the door to the car, his feet leading him over the well-worn gravel path to the front steps of the Uchiha ancestral home.

* * *

Sasuke jerked awake at the sound of the doorbell. "Coming," he said groggily, trying to wake up, and groaning slightly as he sat up fully. His dress was wrinkled, and if he'd looked in a mirror, he would have seen that his hair was terribly mussed. And Sasuke would have been absolutely horrified by the state of his face. But none of these things really registered, as he was still half-asleep in that blissful state of unawareness.

In that place between sleep and awake, he did not notice the fact that he still wore his performing attire. It went unnoticed that his feet slapped against hard wood. And he did not bother to look through the sidelight window to see who was at the door. No…he simply opened the thumb-lock, and turned the knob. When he pulled the partition back, though, his body went cold.

--

On the way over here from his apartment, Naruto had prepared several possible speeches. The first was one of consolation. He'd tell Sasuke that even though they could not be together in the way he wanted, Naruto would always be his friend. There were three or four others that were based on psychological tidbits learned in his classes at the university. One was indignant, while another was simply a promise that they would work it all out, and preferably get Sasuke into counseling. But the one thing that all of these prefabricated monologues had in common was that in the end, he was essentially rejecting his best friend's feelings. None of them save the one where he was indignant were done in a mean way, but the rejection remained.

He had all but settled upon the last option when he rang the doorbell, listening to the chimes sound throughout the house. An unintelligible sound came from within, unidentifiable in any way, except that he knew it was Sasuke's voice. The door swung inward, and Naruto opened his mouth.

His carefully rehearsed speech died in his throat. In the dim light given off by the moon and Sasuke's television, Naruto could see that he'd been crying. Thick trails of melted mascara ran town pale cheeks, and lipstick was slightly smudged, half rubbed away. Deep black eyes grew wide, and he watched Sasuke's body tense, hand tightening on the doorknob as if he were going to close the thick wooden door in Naruto's face.

After a long moment of silence, Naruto found his voice. "Sasuke, I—"

"No." Sasuke's jaw began clenching. "You don't have to say anything. All I needed to know, you've already told me. Now why don't you just go home so that I can start trying to get over you?" He was getting angry, now. A crease had developed between his eyebrows, and Sasuke was not looking at him anymore. Naruto swallowed hard. He hated seeing his friend like this.

"But—"

"Go home, damn it." And the door shut in his face. The way Sasuke had looked just before the wood nearly touched his nose was…painful. Why did it hurt to see those pale features flinch at what he said? The wheels in his head began to turn, faster than he thought possible, and Naruto suddenly came to a decision. Before Sasuke could lock the door, he reached out, taking the knob in hand. Turning it, he pushed hard, knowing that he was displacing Sasuke's bodyweight.

There was a soft thud as a body hit the floor, and when Naruto stepped inside, he found himself staring down at Sasuke, who was sprawled on his backside. It was strange, how surprised those usually calm eyes were. The shock of being thrown to the floor was quickly disappearing, however, to be replaced by a large amount of indignant anger. When Sasuke's mouth opened to deliver what was sure to be a blistering set-down, Naruto stopped him. "Stop." He knelt down to the left of Sasuke's seated figure. "Stop right now, Sasuke, before you say something you'll regret."

Naruto reached out and took both of the other man's pale hands. Sasuke's entire body went stiff, and he stared up at the look of concern that had settled into blue eyes. "Naruto…" the dark-eyed man whispered in a raspy, pained voice, "…please…let go of me." Tears were starting to well up in Sasuke's eyes again, and Naruto didn't know if he could stand seeing him cry. Just knowing that he'd made him do so at all sent a jolt of regret and pain through him. Absently, he watched one salty teardrop slide down a fair cheekbone, leaving a fresh trail of kohl-black melted make-up.

He pulled a handkerchief from the pocket of his jacket, dabbing at the newly stained area of skin. Sasuke seemed surprised by the action, but after a moment, Naruto watched black eyes slide closed and felt his hand take on the extra weight when the other man leaned into his touch. Smiling slightly, Naruto asked, "Why would I let you go? You don't want me to."

Barely shaking his head, Sasuke murmured, "No…I don't. But that's the problem, isn't it?" It was strange, and almost spell-binding to watch red lips move as Sasuke spoke. "I tried not to think about it…I really did." Sasuke's eyes were still closed as he began rambling, "But you're _always_ there. I didn't want to be this way, but I woke up one morning, and there I was, on your couch like always, with you snoring away on the other end…and I knew. Damn it, I knew what all of these stupid feelings meant. And I knew then and there that I'd never love _anyone_ else the way I love you."

For a long moment, Sasuke did not say anything. The way his voice had shaken at that admission pulled at the strings of Naruto's heart. Just when he thought it might be safe to interject, he was cut off before he could speak. A crease formed between slender eyebrows as Sasuke rasped, "And that's what hurts the most. You'll find someone, fall in love and have tons of kids, and I'll just be me. Alone like always, watching somebody else make you smile."

* * *

The numbness was starting to set in again. It was a slow, chill bit of insensitivity that had only just begun creeping into the edges of the hole that had been ripped in his chest. For years, he had denied. Sasuke had flatly refused to even address the warm feeling in his chest when Naruto smiled. He'd ignored how his pulse quickened when intense blue eyes locked with his in silent communication born of a lifetime. And Uchiha Sasuke had not for one moment considered that he might ever be jealous of anyone. But then, when Naruto had brought a date home for their usual movie night…he saw the green monster for the very first time in his life.

_Sasuke leaned on his usual arm of the couch, his legs extended and popcorn in hand. The movie was going to start soon, if only the previews would **finish**. Naruto seemed a little nervous, for some reason, and jumped at the slightest sounds. Just as he was beginning to wonder about his best friend's behavior, there was a sharp knock at the door. _

_Blue eyes lit up from the inside, and a broad smile crossed Naruto's face as he jumped up from the couch, tearing through the living room to the kitchen and then the entry hall. The door opened, and Sasuke watched as Naruto ushered in a girl that was about their age, maybe a little younger. Annoyed at the unexpected company, Sasuke yelled, "Movie's starting, asshole! Better hurry up if you don't want to miss anything!"_

_Naruto shot him a deadly glare before helping the brunette off with her coat and shoes. It was three whole minutes before they got to the living room, after which Sasuke was obliged to take his feet off of the couch. He instead propped them on the coffee table. From the corner of his eye, he watched Naruto's arm slide into place around the girl's shoulders. An inexplicable tick began to develop beneath his right eye._

_Two hours later…_

_"Kira, wait!" Naruto cried as he scrambled after the girl, nearly upsetting the coffee table in the process. She was halfway to the door already. Sasuke hid his satisfied smirk behind a hand full of popcorn. This was better than a movie! Just at the end of the main floor of the apartment's entry hall, the girl stopped very quickly and turned around. Naruto skidded to a stop._

_"Naruto," she said in a high-pitched voice, "that is the rudest, most disgusting person I've ever met. How someone as nice as you are could possibly associate with such an individual, I have no idea. Goodbye." She didn't even stop to put on her shoes, picking them up from the floor and tucking them under her arm on the way out the door instead. Naruto stood in shock for a full minute, staring at the door Kira had just slammed. _

This, of course, left Sasuke quite pleased with himself, but for the rest of the night, Naruto did not speak to him. In the morning, Sasuke woke up first.

Naruto had been propped up against one arm of the couch, and he on the other. They'd entered into a staring contest, but Sasuke didn't remember who won. He'd fallen asleep. Morning sun was flowing into the room and turned blonde hair into a glowing burst of light. With his face pressed against the couch back, snoring slightly, he looked so peaceful, so perfect, that Sasuke had simply stared until blue eyes opened sleepily.

They'd gotten up off of the couch to make breakfast, joking and insulting each other as they normally did, and for a long time, Sasuke thought that Naruto was fine. But that afternoon, Naruto had confronted him. _"Don't do that again,"_ he'd said, _"I don't like the person you become when you don't fancy the girls I bring around."_ It was not that he'd disliked the girl. But he had not taken the time to get to know her, either. In the end, it all boiled down to the cold, hard truth that Sasuke was jealous for the first time, and he hated the feeling.

Now, with the way Naruto's hand was pressed against his cheek, and simply the nearness of him was enough to start eating away that hollow, cold spot in his chest. In its place was left only a warm sensation, and he supposed that it was not a good thing. It wasn't good because that warmth gave him hope, and that could only mean disappointment in the very near future.

But at the moment, he couldn't make himself care about the fact that in a few seconds, that warm hand was going to draw away. He did not care that Naruto was going to be completely disgusted with him. All that he was concerned with was that Naruto's hand wasn't gone yet; that he hadn't run out of the door _yet_. He wasn't gone yet, and for just a few more seconds, Sasuke could lie to himself that maybe even a fraction of his love for the other man might be reciprocated.

* * *

The beating of his heart seemed to be the only thing he could hear as it began to pound. Somehow, even crying with makeup running all over his face and lipstick smudged, Sasuke managed to be absolutely beautiful. It was becoming harder and harder to deny the fact that he _did_ think that his best friend was beautiful. It always seemed wrong to think that, before. Attraction had hit him like a bucket of ice water to the face, and it took him...how long to get used to it? He could remember the first time he'd thought that his best friend was pretty. They'd been sixteen, and Sasuke had stolen a couple bottles of sake from his older brother's personal stash, for which he would later pay dearly.

On an empty stomach, they'd consumed most of the two large bottles, and were utterly intoxicated. Lounging on Sasuke's bed in their underwear, they talked about everything and nothing. Then they fell silent, just staring at the ceiling. Naruto had turned his head, meaning to say something, but nothing came out, because Sasuke was still looking up, and he was simply so…beautiful…

Just like he was now.

Realization hit him hard, taking away his breath, but not so much as when those black eyes opened. "Naruto…" he heard Sasuke say as his face drew nearer, "…I…" Slender fingers threaded into the hair at the side of his face, and Naruto leaned into the touch. Sasuke's eyes widened, unable to put together the pieces of what was happening.

Smiling slightly, the blonde man said in a quiet voice, "I didn't get to tell you how pretty you looked tonight, Sasuke." Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe he should have just left when he'd planned to…And maybe he'd be _damned_ if he would get up and leave his best friend just when things were getting interesting! Whatever little voice in the back of his head had turned nay-sayer, it was now shut tightly in a cupboard, right along with his common sense.

"Pretty?" Sasuke breathed, almost inaudibly. "You think I'm pretty?"

Naruto shook his head slightly. "You're beautiful." The corners of Sasuke's mouth began to creep upward, until a genuine smile transformed his tear-stained face into a true thing of beauty. "You're a mess, but you're still beautiful." He swallowed the lump that had begun to grow in his throat. The thing just wouldn't go away, so he left it there as he continued to speak. "I couldn't stop staring at you up there on the stage. You sing real pretty, Sasuke."

"Thank you," came the breathy reply. Those words had a different effect now than they did at the club. He smiled, and leaned forward, resting his forehead on Sasuke's. "Naruto," the other man whispered, "do you think you could ever love me…like I love you?"

A smile began to spread slowly over his face. "If you had asked that question twenty minutes ago, I'd have told you no. I thought you were crazy. But…now that I think about it, I've always sort of known how you felt. I just never really put it all together. And I do love you, Sasuke. I don't know how I could keep from loving you." Sasuke let out a cry, and Naruto suddenly found himself on his back. "Gah!" he yelled when his head connected with the floor, almost hard enough to make him see stars. Something heavy weighted down his stomach, and it was a long moment before he realized that it was Sasuke, sitting on him. "Ooow…" he groaned, not knowing if he meant the pain in his head, or his torso.

"Oh…I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" dark hair tickled his cheek as a teasing voice played in his ear, "Let me make it better." Eyes widening to impossibly large lakes of blue, Naruto stared up at his friend in shock at what was being implied. Sasuke pulled back for a moment, amusement in his black eyes. "What? You love me enough to say so, but not enough to let me kiss you? What are you afraid of?" Red-painted lips hovered over his, and after a long moment, they began to descend.

"Wait." Naruto took hold of Sasuke's shoulders, fingers wrinkling taffeta. "Let's get you out of this dress." Sasuke gasped, but Naruto laughed slightly, and said teasingly, "Now who's scared? I just don't want to kiss you for the first time while you look like a broken-hearted drag queen."

Sasuke frowned, but stood. Hands planted on his hips, he leaned down toward a somewhat stunned Naruto and said, "Call me a queen again, Naruto, and I'll beat you to a pulp, and I'll do it _while_ I'm wearing a dress." Marveling at his friend, who was obviously slipping back into the character of a woman, Naruto had to suppress a laugh. Sasuke was probably one of the most psychologically screwed up people he'd ever met. Not that he loved him any less for it…

* * *

**A/N:** So, are you guys okay after that emotional rollercoaster? It took a lot out of me to write that!


	4. There Is Nothing Left To Lose

**Title:** "Lady Sings the Blues"

**Author:** antilogicgirl

**Series:** Naruto

**Genres:** angst, romance

**Begun: **April 27, 2008

**Compelted:** August 7, 2008

**Summary: **Naruto thought he knew everything about his best friend, but it would appear that he was mistaken. Sasuke, on the other hand has strange ways of dealing with his emotions.

**A/N:** Thanks again for all of your reviews. In case anyone's not wanting a sort of...er...steamy-like ending for the story, they might want to pretend that this is the last chapter. The actual epilogue does contain some pretty in-your-face yaoi. Okay...this one's short, and I apologize, but when you hit a stopping point...you get the picture. Probably could have tacked it onto the Epilogue, or maybe onto the previous chapter. Meh. This one is actually sort of cute.

**Warnings:**

**FL--**Foul Language

**S-ai--**Shounen-ai

* * *

**Part IV:** There is Nothing Left To Lose

Sasuke threw the dress onto a hanger, and shoved it into the nearest closet. When he'd done the same to the corset he'd been wearing, it occurred to him that he had been quite uncomfortable for some time. Slipping into the bathroom, he peeled off false eyelashes, and scrubbed away the makeup he wore. The last thing that remained before he was himself again was a short battle against the hair spray that had held his very 'Breakfast At Tiffany's' up-do.

He slid into a pair of pajamas, and padded out of the room, down the stairs, and then into the living room, where he had insisted that Naruto wait for him. The blonde man was seated on his couch, turning over in his hands one of the shiny patent-leather stilettos Sasuke had been wearing not a few hours earlier. Sasuke watched as blue eyes examined the shoe, as a thumb smoothed over the glassy surface of the leather. Naruto looked quite thoughtful, and Sasuke could not make himself move. He loved this version of Naruto best. This Naruto was quiet, and difficult to read. There was an air of inscrutability about him that was lacking at other times, and it made Sasuke want to unravel the mystery in those blue eyes.

But there was no real mystery to Uzumaki Naruto. With him, what you saw was what you got. But just like his appearance, Naruto could be more than anyone was able to handle. Sasuke finally broke out of his fit of immobility and approached, watching as Naruto's eyes moved to meet his. The smile that flickered in blue eyes made his breath catch and heart skip. Nearly laughing at himself, he realized that he was long past the point of being annoyed with himself for such thoughts. He liked to think that he was a bit too mature to act like a hormonal teenager, but then Naruto's face lit up, smiling in earnest now, and Sasuke was lost.

His lips stretched, spreading in a rare smile as he reached the couch. As he sat next to Naruto, Sasuke suddenly felt very self-conscious. Though he did not realize he did so, one slender hand rose, tugging at unruly black hair, trying in vain to make it cooperate. It was so much easier to deal with his feelings when he had the protection of disguise…and now here he sat, less than a meter away from the love of his life, but that protective shell was not there. Naruto seemed to sense his discomfort, and pulled his hand away from his hair. "You look fine."

Sasuke frowned. "I don't feel like I do."

"Come here," Naruto said, one arm looping around Sasuke's shoulders to pull him. After a second or two, he was nestled safely against the other man's chest. "Now," he murmured into spiky hair that still smelled of citrus hair spray, "tell me why you feel like you don't look gorgeous. I need to understand."

Sasuke squirmed a little, growing more embarrassed because Naruto wouldn't let up. He never did know when to shut his mouth. "I…I don't know. You know I've never been very good at expressing my feelings." There was a nod from above his head, and Naruto indicated that he should elaborate. "It's easy for you. You just _say_ things. I've never been able to."

"Why not?"

Sasuke craned his neck, taking in the serious expression in Naruto's eyes. Huffing, he said, "I just _can't_, that's all."

"Liar." Naruto's eyes crinkled, and he said, "You can say anything you need to, when it comes to me. Just do it, Sasuke." Was he serious? One glance told him that yes, Naruto was completely on the level, and it blew Sasuke's mind that his friend was this serious for this long.

Finally, he dug his face into Naruto's chest, and said in a muffled but still audible voice, "It's…hard for me to face you, now that you know how I feel. There's nothing between us…no people, no time. And I can't hide. You see everything. I can't hide anything from you. You know I never could."

Sasuke felt Naruto gently take hold of his chin, and push until he could look down into his face. "Don't try to hide from me, then. I love you, you know. Strange as it might seem…I do. Now don't go trying to close yourself off again, because I'll bug the hell out of you until you tell me what I want to know." All he could do was nod. Naruto was right, after all. If there was one thing that his best friend was good at, it was getting information out of him. "All right," Naruto said briskly, smiling and letting go of his chin, "what shall we do?"

Sasuke was so stunned by the sudden change of gears that he could not speak. Naruto grinned, and said in a sly tone, "I know. Let's see if I can keep you speechless." Before Sasuke had a chance to reply, his head was being held between two very warm hands, and his mouth was covered with Naruto's. Shock was the only thing that kept him from kissing back. He blinked, his body having gone completely stiff, and it was not until the other man pulled away that he really realized what was going on.

"Why did you stop?" he asked, blinking.

Naruto smiled and said teasingly, "Because I need to breathe, and you were too busy sitting there with a stick up your ass to kiss me back." Sasuke did not seem to realize quite quickly enough that Naruto was baiting him. He raised one eyebrow in classic Sasuke fashion, and grabbed the front of Naruto's shirt, yanking him forward.

"I don't have _anything_ stuck up my ass, Uzumaki." With that, he proceeded to press his mouth gently, yet insistently against Naruto's. The other's lips parted easily, and Sasuke was surprised by just how sweet his friend's mouth was. He tasted like some kind of citrus fruit, and wine. As the kiss deepened dangerously, Sasuke felt a groan leave his throat. There wasn't much that could have prepared him for this. He felt dizzy, as if he were in free-fall. When they finally parted, he saw Naruto grinning at him. At last, realizing that he'd been played, Sasuke growled, "Damn it, Naruto…"

The blonde only chuckled, "Come on, you know you love me."

Grudgingly, Sasuke agreed. "Yes, I do. But you're going to pay for that."

Naruto sent a hand through Sasuke's hair, pulling him forward for another kiss, "I'll pay, and pay, and pay. Later. Right now, there's too much talking." For once, Sasuke couldn't agree more.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry this was so short. It's less than a thousand words, I think! Let me know what you think, real quick, and I'll post the epilogue as soon as possible.


	5. Epilogue: Still

**Title:** "Lady Sings the Blues"

**Author:** antilogicgirl

**Series:** Naruto

**Genres:** angst, romance

**Begun: **April 27, 2008

**Compelted:** August 7, 2008

**Summary: **Naruto thought he knew everything about his best friend, but it would appear that he was mistaken. Sasuke, on the other hand has strange ways of dealing with his emotions.

**A/N:** A thousand pardons for taking so long to post the final installment of this story. I had a bit of a disagreement with a rather ill-tempered guy named Gustav. He knocked out our power for a week, and the internet for three weeks. Having just got all of that sorted out, I've got the last part of the story for you. Thanks to all of my reviewers, because you all kept me going. Keep in mind that this part has some up-close and personal yaoi, and we'll all get along just fine.

Ah, I wanted also to say that this isn't quite one of my personal fantasies, but I do think that every man should be able to say he wore a dress...at least once. It does wonders for the way he'll look at a woman afterward. And damn the man who walks a mile in my 3.75 inch stilettos (red ones from Steve Madden...they're so pretty), and still has the balls to be a misogynist. Oh. And I wanted to make sure that everyone knows that I totally _do not_ condone unprotected sex. In this day in age, it just ain't safe. That being said, on with the show!

**Warnings:**

**FL--**Foul Language

**Y--**Yaoi

* * *

**Epilogue:** Still

The lights went down, and the house was silent. And then came the familiar voice of the night manager, announcing, "And now, once again, please welcome the beautiful, and always enchanting…Saiyuri." When the spotlight illuminated the microphone, Naruto was watching from his usual table. Sasuke was wearing one of the dresses that the blonde had picked for him. It was a deep blue, iridescent taffeta strapless number, with a rhinestone starburst brooch and a little velvet jacket. Jet-black hair had been styled into submission, hanging loose to shapely shoulders.

As usual, his lover wore crimson lipstick, and false eyelashes. A saxophone suddenly began the opening solo to "Stormy Blues", and those long lashes lowered. Sasuke sang with a throaty voice, and Naruto was enthralled. He always was. There was little that he found more beautiful than the performing persona Sasuke adopted. He'd said so the last time he'd spoken to Sakura, and she'd scolded him for it. But, he reasoned, it was Saiyuri that first told him about the pale man's feelings. Had it not been for the fact that every emotion was displayed so easily on the face of Sasuke's alter ego, he might not be here now.

Partway through the song, those black eyes were fastened on him, and he couldn't move. Naruto could barely breathe when he knew that he had Sasuke's undivided attention. Now, he often laughed at himself for having been unable to recognize his own feelings. A year earlier, when he'd first seen this act, and later that night, gone to see Sasuke without really knowing why, he never would have thought that they would be like this.

That first night, they fell asleep in each other's arms on the couch, and he woke up with a stiff neck, but also an armful of drop-dead-gorgeous-even-in-the-morning Sasuke. Needless to say, Uzumaki Naruto knew very well that he was the luckiest man on earth. As if he needed any reminder of that fact, Saiyuri sent a smile at him as she began to sing "April In Paris". There were times when he thought it was strange, the way he didn't really distinguish between Sasuke and Saiyuri. But then, he remembered that they were essentially the same person, and it was fine. He smiled back at his lover, and shifted in his chair. God, he couldn't think of anything that was the least bit sexier than even the smallest of Sasuke's smiles. Except, he remembered, perhaps one of those smiles when the dark-eyed man was trying to get Naruto into bed.

He became lost in his thoughts, suddenly unable to push away the memory of a few days earlier, when they'd been shopping for the very dress Sasuke now wore. Under the pretense of getting Naruto to unzip one of the other dresses he'd been trying on, that pale man had locked the both of them into a dressing room in the department store and proceeded to give him the most amazing—

He was jarred from his thoughts when the waitress suddenly arrived, asking if he wanted anything else to drink. Naruto waved her off, because honestly, he'd pretty well begun to drool during his little reverie.

* * *

Sasuke stepped lightly down the little staircase after the end of the set. Naruto sat at his accustomed table, looking devastatingly handsome in a navy-blue suit with subtle pinstripes. His white dress shirt seemed to glow in the low lights, and then there was the tie. For some reason, his lover had decided that he _must_ own a bright orange tie, and wear it at every opportunity. While the color was offensive at most times, it strangely went rather well with his current suit. Sasuke lowered himself gracefully into a chair next to Naruto. "What are you drinking?" He asked, knowing that the man had only been drinking water.

"Whatever you are." Naruto replied, smiling.

Sasuke smiled shyly, keeping up the act that had become their custom. "Oh, I'm not having a thing. I feel really tired, actually. Do you think you could help me out of this getup? It's positively _sweltering._" One pale hand indicated the dress Sasuke was wearing, and Naruto nodded slowly.

"I think I can handle that. I'm good with zippers."

Sasuke had to try hard not to laugh, because Naruto was _very_ good with zippers, especially his own. Instead, he managed a seductive smile. "Then follow me, big boy. We'll see how good you are with this particular type of zipper." It was like something out of a movie, the way Sasuke got up, and went back to the dressing room, waiting with barely contained anticipation until a few minutes later when Naruto appeared.

"Come here, gorgeous." Naruto crooked a finger, and as if that digit had a magical string attached to it, Sasuke stepped forward, standing so close to his lover that he could feel body heat. Warm hands slid under the velvet of the bolero-style jacket, pushing it down and off of his shoulders. Naruto tossed it onto the little couch nearby. After a moment of blue eyes simply staring at him, Sasuke began to fidget. He never really felt quite comfortable when anyone stared at him, especially not Naruto.

His discomfort grew exponentially when he saw the way Naruto began casting furtive glances at the table behind him. That appraising, almost calculating expression was indicative of only one thing. His lover was attempting to gauge whether or not the table would stand up under their combined weight. As the other man edged closer, Sasuke tried to sidle away, if for no other reason than to try to get the dress _off_ before Naruto decided he had to bend him over the table.

"Where are you going?" The blonde's voice was innocent, not matching his eyes one bit.

Sasuke's tone suddenly became edged with an unhealthy amount of whine as he held his hands up defensively. "Let me get out of the dress, Naruto…just…hey!" One wrist was grasped firmly in a large, tanned hand, and Naruto dragged him forward in spite of how he struggled.

There were little crinkles at the corners of those deep blue eyes as Naruto's voice became a low rumble. It never failed to send pleasant shivers through Sasuke's body when the other man talked like that. Totally unfair. "But you look so nice…I want to keep you _in_ it for a little longer." Insidious fingers grasped the full skirt of his dress, and started to pull first the taffeta, and then the petticoat that caused the thing to fluff out. Sasuke bit his lip. He could feel Naruto's hot hands sliding over his hips, down and around until he felt himself lifted up by his thighs. As gently as possible, Naruto deposited him onto the table. It was just a bit wobbly, but it might hold up. And then, Sasuke was overwhelmed by sensations. Lips and tongue on his neck, hands slipping into the silky panties he'd put on. Heat and shortening breaths overcame him, and he gave up on resisting.

* * *

All of the fight was gone from Sasuke now. His head had fallen back, exposing more of that gorgeous porcelain skin in an open invitation for him to touch and taste as much as he liked. Naruto smiled deviously against the column of Sasuke's throat. His hands moved seemingly of their own volition, but he'd had this scenario perfectly planned out for at least a week. He knew exactly where his fingers needed to touch to extract just the right reactions.

At the moment, Naruto's right hand had begun its inspection of those adorable pink silk panties, and the contents therein. Sasuke gasped when his lover's fingers brushed over the coarse hair at the base of his still-forming erection. Naruto knew very well what Sasuke thought of this type of behavior, but that only served to fuel the heat in his belly that seemed to grow. He let his teeth gently scrape at the sensitive skin just behind the paler man's jaw, and earned a hiss. "Naruto…you tease…"

"Tsk, tsk," came the amused reply, "no name-calling, love." His unoccupied hand slid down one thigh-high silk stocking, feeling muscles tensing. Sasuke had the longest, most dangerously sexy legs he'd ever laid eyes on, and they looked even longer now, since he wore a pair of blue velvet stilettos. Suddenly, and without warning, the very same leg he'd been caressing moved up to rest on his shoulder. This position caused memories to flood forward, each and every one exhibiting just how flexible those legs were, and how much Naruto really did love them around his neck.

His heart began to pound against his ribs when Sasuke arched against him, trying to force Naruto to touch him more. "But you _are_ a tease…" the pale man moaned as his change in position caused his erection to graze the palm of Naruto's hand. "And you're trying to make me beg, aren't you?" Naruto blinked a few times. Apparently, Sasuke had seen through his brilliant plan. Now that the jig was up, it wouldn't be anywhere near as much fun. Sasuke slid backward just a little on the table—any more, and it might collapse—and looked at Naruto with heavily lidded eyes.

A smile graced perfect lips, and Saiyuri's throaty voice came out, "I can play along, if you like. Just don't tease me too much. You know how loud I get." Nartuo nodded. Indeed, his lover _did_ scream loudly. It was a very good thing they had few neighbors. Otherwise, there would have been some rather ugly complaints.

Sasuke's other leg wrapped around his waist, and tightened, pulling him close, and Naruto could feel his clothed erection press against the back of the other man's thigh. He groaned, and his fingers wrapped around hard flesh, teasing and stroking until whimpers turned to moans. The moans started to break into gasping breaths, and then Naruto heard, "Oh, God…stop, please…please—" nails painted the color of midnight dug into the virgin wool of his suit jacket, and he could feel Sasuke's body start to tense, "—I don't…not yet—" Sasuke's mouth found his, kissing and licking desperately at his lips, finally whispering, "—not until you're inside me…"

All of Naruto's self-control snapped then, and he pulled away completely. His suit jacket joined Sasuke's on the couch, as did the panties the other man had been wearing. A short fishing trip into his pants pocket turned up a couple of items that they were certain to need.

* * *

Sasuke watched breathlessly as his lover rooted around his pocket. He didn't think it was possible for his heart to race any faster than it now was, but the instant his eyes fastened to the small tube in Naruto's hand it seemed to double its pace; he disregarded the little foil packet. His hand reached out, taking hold of that obnoxious orange tie and pulling. Now within range, he used his other hand to grab and shove the condom back into one dark pin-striped pocket. "I want to _feel_ you," he explained when Naruto looked at him in confusion. Bewilderment turned quickly to surprise, and understandably so. Sasuke was unable to explain why after an entire year, he suddenly didn't want even that thin layer of latex between them. It didn't matter. "Quickly…" he managed to say as he pushed himself forward to the edge of the table, his legs spreading further apart.

Naruto's hands fumbled—something that rarely happened in this sort of situation—and Sasuke watched every movement. Once he had used enough of the lubricant on himself, the blonde man turned his attention to Sasuke. The clear gel was cold when it touched his skin. Sasuke closed his eyes, concentrating on the feeling of slick fingers moving over the surface of his left buttock, and down, until they found their way to that most secret of places. He let out a hiss of pleasure; Naruto had begun massaging, loosening the tight ring of muscles that would need quite a lot of coaxing.

Moments later, the now-familiar stretching sensation accompanied a very skilled hand that never really managed to distract him from the fact that something much larger would be there soon. Sasuke tried not to hold his breath, but was having little success. The waiting was always the hardest part. He could handle it, though. Naruto was well worth the wait.

Sasuke loved those first few seconds after his lover slid inside him. There was always a short amount of time when both of them must adjust to the feeling. Briefly, he felt the other man's fingertips brush teasingly at the small gland that caused his breath to come up short. In a pleasured hiss, he gritted out, "You—" but was cut off as Naruto deliberately pressed at the spot more firmly. When he'd come to his senses once again, Sasuke groaned, "You're evil…"

A devious smile crossed beautiful lips as they neared his face. Naruto's voice was husky, almost hoarse with need as he shot back, "But you love me for it. Admit it, Sasuke." Again and again, those fingers pressed at Sasuke's prostate, and he soon lost all understanding of anything that involved speech.

Panting now, and making some of the most undignified sounds possible, he braced his hands on the back end of the table. The stretching sensation no longer burned, and though his lover no longer prodded his prostate gland, he was still unable to do so much as speak. Naruto began kissing his neck, nibbling at areas that were sensitive, and moving upward toward his jaw. The hand that had been toying with his erection was suddenly gone, and he gave a very indecorous whimper before Naruto grasped his left hand, pulling it away from where it was. The voice at his ear nearly made him lose control of his own body. "I want to see you touch yourself," the voice said, hot breath and low tone nearly causing Sasuke to climax before he'd even begun to comply.

And obey he did, his fingers wrapping around his own hot flesh as he listened to Naruto's sinful voice in his ear. "Don't make yourself come," his lover said, "that's my job…" His grip tightened on himself, and he could feel his orgasm nearing. So close…

Moving his hand more furiously now, the voice in his ear became a low buzz, a sound he promptly ignored. He did not hear the warnings of retribution, of revenge. But Sasuke did feel when his hand was unceremoniously ripped from his erection. He felt it when Naruto pulled his fingers from him. Now completely dazed, his body was in shock from the abrupt lack of stimulation. "I told you _not_ to make yourself come." Naruto's tone was dangerous, and once again, Sasuke found himself close to the edge. It was the deep, half-menacing quality that the voice had, coupled with the fact that he'd been being teased for close to half an hour.

"I…" he stammered, "I couldn't help it…" His body was beginning to feel cold as he stared down into angry blue eyes. Sasuke knew he must do something right away to get this thing going again, or he was going to be highly uncomfortable for some time. "You feel so good," he said weakly, letting his voice sound as desperate as he felt, "I almost came just from you telling me not to." There was a slight groan from his lover, and Sasuke knew that he had very nearly won. Just a little more… "I need you," his legs tightened around the other man's waist, causing Naruto's slick erection to brush against his own. It was as if fire ignited along every nerve in his body, and Sasuke thrust his hips against the slick sensation. "Ahhh…Oh, God…I need you so badly…"

Naruto leaned toward his ear again, and in that same growling tone, he demanded, "Tell me what you need."

"I need you inside me," Sasuke gasped as he continued to rub himself against his lover, feeling the impending orgasm once again, and unable to stop it. "Hurry, please! Make love to me before I come…I'm going to…Oh, God I—"

Somehow, Naruto had managed to pull back from him. Sasuke whined again at the loss of contact, and his hand was halfway to reaching to stroke himself once more when he felt the blunt tip of Naruto's erection pressing into him. It was as it always had been. Hot, slick heaven and the fires of hell all rolled into one, burning him to the bone and raising him from the dead, over and over again. Sasuke felt hands on the inside of his knees, pushing his legs back toward his chest, and spreading him wider. The first time Naruto hit his prostate on a hard thrust, he screamed. His eyes squeezed shut, and his head flew backward as little convulsions of pleasure wracked his body.

A moment later, he felt something soft being stuffed into his mouth. His eyes popped open, and Naruto indicated the dressing table. He'd shoved one of Sasuke's long gloves into his mouth. "You must stay quiet."

Sasuke pulled the gag from his mouth and tossed it aside. "No," he gasped as he pulled his lover deeper inside him, "I can't be quiet…ah…let them hear." Again and again, he made sure that they were joined as completely as possible, and moans fell unashamedly from his lips as he was closer and closer to release. Yet, each time he tried to touch himself, his hands were batted away, leaving him neglected. "Please," he begged, his body so tense it felt as if it may snap, "please let me touch myself…"

"I don't think so," he heard next to his ear, just before a brutal assault on that little bundle of nerves deep inside him, and he screamed again. "Consider this payback," Naruto said in a strangely musical tone as he leaned in to nip at the edge of Sasuke's jaw. This new, somewhat awkward position caused the front of Naruto's shirt to rub against Sasuke's painfully neglected erection, and he bit his lips against the moan that tried to erupt from his mouth. Sometimes, he hated how he was not much more than a quivering mass of need when they made love. There were times when Sasuke wished he could do the same to Naruto.

Hands slid over the smooth fabric that stretched over his corset, coming to rest at the curve of his waist. Through all that cloth, he could feel body heat, and the way that Naruto's hands shook. "Sasuke…" Breath came ragged and nearly stuttering against his neck. "I…" Sasuke recognized this behavior. Naruto was perilously close to the edge. The movement of his lover's hips became erratic, and he started letting out tiny whimpers as he held on tightly to Sasuke and abused his already overly stimulated prostate.

What happened then was more a blur than anything. He didn't remember just how his legs ended up around Naruto's neck, or how his lover managed to cover his mouth against a scream that might have shattered the mirror at the dressing table without such muffling. Sasuke became completely insensible when his orgasm finally rocked him. The next thing he did know was that a damp cloth was being used to wipe at the mess he'd made of himself as he lay on the couch. Naruto had already righted his own clothing. He smiled slightly as he stood. "You passed out, gorgeous." Blue eyes seemed highly amused. "Guess I should let you get out of that corset next time. It must make breathing difficult."

Sasuke gave a slight wince at his lover's stupidity. Naruto knew exactly why he'd lost consciousness. "You idiot," he groaned, "give me back my panties. I have to make myself presentable."

"Now, that's not something you hear every day." Naruto grinned as Sasuke rolled his eyes. It was with this evil smile that the blonde fished the tiny pink underwear out of his pocket, handing them over as requested. "I love it when your temper gets nasty." Sasuke grumbled inarticulately under his breath, attempting to put on his underwear without wrinkling the skirt of his dress any more than he already had. Once he had struggled to his feet, and straightened his dress to the best of his ability, he glanced in the mirror. His makeup was fine. A hand landed on his shoulder, and he watched as Naruto placed a kiss in the crook of his neck. "Come on," said the other man, "let's get home."

Sasuke picked up his purse, makeup kit, and the little velvet jacket before taking the offered arm. Nodding in agreement, he leaned on his lover. "Lead the way," he said in a breathy voice, watching as it had the desired effect, causing broad shoulders to tremble in a shiver. It was going to be a long night, but Sasuke needed a shower first.

* * *

End

* * *

A/N: So, how was it? Good enough? You'd all better review and tell me what you think. Thanks again for reading!


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